Furnace-charging apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1.906.

G. SGHUHMANN.

FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 1905.

2 SHEETS-8153B? l,

PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

Gr. SGHUHMANN. FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUEL APPLICATION TILED T11R20. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"7 Maya/momma life. teases.

Patented July 4, 1905.

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SPECIlilLClldlf'IUfhl' forming part of Letters Patent 1W0. 793,806, dated July 4, 1905. Application filed January 20, 1905. Serial No. 242,033

be it known that l, til-condo Scuummun, a citizen of the United hltates, residing in the city of heading, county of Berks, and State of l *ennsylwinia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in liurnacc-Charging r ipparatus, of which the following is a specilication i l l y invention relates to apparatus adapted more particularly for facilitating the handlingof skelp in tube-making, the main object being to provide for the convenient storage of i'naterial in proximity to the furnace and the convenient carriage of the same as required into furmtce-charging position.

in supplying skcl p for a tube-making furnace to operate upon a travelingcrane is commonly employed to deliver the same direct from a loaded car to a convenient point in proximity to the furi'iace, after which it is further handled as rerpiired for charging the furnace. in my improved apparatus l provide for concentrating this particular work of the traveling crane so as to leave it free for service elsewhere except at long intervals, this being effected by unloading at one time any convenient quantity of skelp and storing the same in separated piles upon a suitable platform located in proximity to the entrance end of the furnace, and l employin connection with such platforn'i a reciprocating carriage arranged to travel below the stored piles of material and to successively convey the same into fumace-charging position, all as fully described in connection with the accom ntnying drawings, and the novel features of which are specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view indicating a preferred arrangement of my improved apparatus in connection with a tubemaking furnace. .l ig. E2 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. i, the carriz'tge being shown in 'furnace-charging position, but its leading position below the piled material upon the storage ilatforin be ing also indicated in dotted lines. Fig. is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and ,lig. 4- is a similar view on the liDCli; of l igx l. liig. 53 is an enlarged side elevation of the carriage, showing a preferred elevator and catch mechanism for the platform thereof.

An ordinary iJUlJO-llllh'ihgl' furnace is indicated at 1, into which skclp is charged through the entrance end 2 and from the opposite end of which it is discharged for the usual treatment. The storage-platform 1:, provided to one side of the entrance end of the furnace, is made up, as shown, of a series of parallel supports extending transversely to the furnace and spaced apart so as to form separated points of support for a series of skelp piles 3, placed thereon, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, said supports consisting, as shown, of bars a it, resting on raised foundations 5 5, between which are provided, as indicated, two carriagcavays (3 3. Upon the depressed floors of these carriage-ways are carriage-tracks 7 7, running parallel with the platform bars or supports and extending beyond the platform and across the front of the furnace. The piles of skelp upon the platform thus span each carriage-way, so as to permit the passage below the spanning portion of a transversely-reciprocatingcarriage 8, riding upon the tracks 7. The ends of the platformbars ll nearest in line with the furnace are inclined downward, so as to gradually lower the she] p upon the carriage while it is being conveyed to charging position, as hereinafter described. This reciprocating carriage 8, as shown in Fig. 5, is provided with an elevator table or platform 9, carried upon radius-arms 10 10, which are operatively connected to a depending lever 11, through which the reciprocating power acts upon the carriage, the effect of this preferred construction being that such power exerted in onodirection upon thelever and carriage (see arrow a) will tend to lower the platform and when exerted in the opposite direction (sec arrow y) will tend to raise it. A stop 12 is provided to positively limit this raising action, and the platform rests directly upon the carriage-frame when lowered to normal position. When thus lowered, the

height of the carriage is such as to permitits free passage under theslcel p piles 3 upon the storage-platform.

Upon the forward portion of the carriageplatform 9 I provide a depressible upward projection 13, consisting, as shown, of a pivoted catch which is free to tilt downward as the carriage passes under a slzelp pile 3, but which normally stands upright and is so held against a reverse strain by a suitable stop 14.

Tho reciprocating mechanism, as shown, comprises a cable 15, running in a cable-cond uit 16 between the track-rails 7 and driven in reverse directions by any suitable means. This cable is connected at 17 to the depending lever 11 of the carriage, so as to impart a reciprocating movement to the latter in either direction, as desired, and at the same time immediately act upon the carriage-platform to raise or lower the latter, as already described.

Any convenient number of suitable slzelp piles 3 may be provided for upon the storageplatform, the traveling crane generally placing a suliicient number for a half-days run, with the piles spaced apart, as shown, so as to permit of their being separately handled by the carriage. As already stated, the latter is preferably made in two parts, operated jointly, so as to provide properly-distributed support, and thereby prevent objectionable sagging. To bring a pile 3 into charging position in front of the furnace, the empty carriage is moved into the carriage-ways 6 6 until the tilting projection 13 has passed under the nearest pile and resumed its upright position to the rear of said pile. The cable movement being then reversed, the pull upon the lever 11 lirst operates to raise the carriageplatform until a considerable portion of the weight of the pile is transferred from the platform to the carriage, the upright projection or catch 13 being also in position to the rear of the pile, so as to positively retain the latter upon the carriage. The weight being thus largely transferred to the carriage, the pile is readily moved outward, sliding upon the platformsupports, until the downward incline of the ends of the latter gradually relieves the sliding friction upon said supports and finally throws the whole weight of the pile upon the carriage. T he platform of the latter is thus lowered to its normal position, when the pile is conveyed to thedesired charging position in front of the furnace, from which position the skelp is charged into the furnace by any suitable means until a new pile is required, when the described operation is repeated.

The preferred arrangement and construction thus specifically described may obviously be varied without departing from my invention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination with a furnace of a storage-platform located to one side of the entering end thereof and a transvcrsely-reciprocatmg carriage arranged to travel across said platform below the supporting-plane thereof and to convey stored material from different portions of said platform into furnace-charging position.

2. The combination with a furnace of a storage-platform located to one side of the entering end thereof and comprising separated supports forthe stored material, and a transverselyreciprocating carriage arranged to travel between said separated supports and to convey the stored material therefrom into furnace-charging position.

3. The combination with afurnace of astorage-platform located to one side of the entering end thereof and comprising separated supports for the stored material, and a divided transversely-reciprocating carriage the parts of which are arranged to travel between different of the separated supports and to jointly convey the stored material therefrom into furnace-charging position.

4. In a furnace-charging apparatus a carriage having an elevator-platform, and reciprocating means for said carriage arranged to also effect the raising and lowering of the platform.

5. In a furnace-charging apparatusa reciprocating carriage having an elevator-plat form operatively connected to the reciprocating means so as to be normally lowered by reciprocating action in one direction and normally raised by reciprocating action in the opposite direction.

6. In a furnace-charging apparatus a reciprocating carriage having an elevator-platform and elevating means therefor, said platform being provided with a depressible projection above the supporting-surface thereof which. projection is operative as a catch in one direction only of the carriage movement.

7. In afurnacc-charging apparatus the combination with a storage-platform of a recipro eating carriage arranged to travel under material supported upon said storage-platform, said carriage having an elevator-platform, and means for elevating the latter operated by a reversal of the reciprocating movement.

8. In a furnace-charging apparatus the combination with a storage-platform of a reciprocating carriage arranged to travel freely under material supported upon said storage-platform, reciprocating mechanism therefor, and means connected with said reciprocating mechanism for elevating said carriage beneath said material so as to carry the weight of the latter thereon during its outward movement.

9. In a furnace-charging apparatus the combination with a storage-platform of a reciprocating carriage arranged to travel under material supported upon said storage-platform, said carriage having an elevator-platform and reciprocating means for said carriage arranged to raise and lower said platform.

10. In a furnace-charging apparatus the combination with a storage-1' latform of a reeiprocating carriage arranged to travel under material supported upon said storageplatform, said carriage having an elevator-plat- :if'orm operatively connected to the reciprocating means so as to be normally lowered by reciprocating action in one direction and nermally raised by reciprocating action in the opposite direction.

ii. in a fnrnace-clnwg'ing apparatus for sl elp-plates or the like a storage- 'ilatferm comprising transversely arranged spacedapart siipporting-beams for said plates, a depressed carriage-way between said beams, and a eable-condnit in said way.

12. in a :lt'urnace-charging apparatus for skelp plateser the like a storage- 'ilat'lorin comprising transversely arranged spaeedapart sn merting beams for said plates and a. depressed carriage-way between said beams the ends 01" said beams nearest in line to the furnace being inclined downward 1.3. A lilrnace'eharging' a1 n iaratns coi'nprising a series of spaced-apart slcel }I)-S\1] ')})(71'l1il'lg beams the ends of which nearest in line with the furnace are inclined downward, a depressed carriageway between said beams, and. a recilirocatingcarriage the platform of which is normally below the snpporting-surface of said beams.

14. A 'lnrmice-chargingapparatus comprising a series of spaced-apart slcelp-supporting beams the ends cl which nearest in line with the furnace are inclined downward, a de- 1i)resse .lcarriage-way between said beams, a recipi'ocatinn' carriage having an elevatoriilatlerm the normal height of which is less than that of the beams and means for autornatieally elevating and lowering said plat form substantially as set forth.

in testimony \vhereo l' l allix my sigi'iature in the presei'ice of two witnesses.

(irEOhl 1 i SUlEI Ullirl A NN.

Witnesses;

W. H. "Bltrnnuura, D. M. Strnwmre 

